Saturday Stats
Posted March 19, 2022 in eNews
Numeric news from Policy Matters
$2 billion: The DeWine administration has promised nearly $2 billion in public funds to back Intel Corporation’s major investment in new semiconductor production facilities here in Ohio. State legislators will have to approve much of it. When they do, Zach Schiller says they must include requirements that the deal expand opportunity for Ohioans of all walks of life, and make sure its economic benefits extend far and wide. The same day we released Zach’s paper, Intel announced that it's pledging $50 million to Ohio higher education institutions. That confused us because earlier they said they’d give $100 million. Turns out half will come from Intel; the rest will come from us. Check out Hannah Halbert’s TikTok on the matter.
96%: Ninety-six percent of the teachers at Menlo Park Academy in Cleveland signed union cards that were filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). But the charter school’s management refused to voluntarily recognize the union and hired a high-price anti-union lawyer to delay the secret ballot election. That’s problematic for any employer, but as Tanisha Pruitt explains, it’s even more so for one that is supposed to be using its public funding to educate children. Right after Tanisha’s blog went live, the Menlo Park teachers got some good news: The NLRB ruled against management’s delay tactics, and the educators will have a union election on March 30.
192,000: New seasonally adjusted data show that even though Ohio is recovering from the COVID-19 recession, in January 2022, the state had 192,200 fewer jobs than it did in February 2020. As Michael Shields says in the latest JobWatch, the data released last week give a fuller picture of the impact of federal pandemic relief. The numbers show that nearly two-thirds of the jobs recovered in 2021 were restored in the first half of the year: Recovery slowed as federal programs expired. The numbers again make a strong case for more government action to help people get back on their feet.
30: There are 30 days left until Tax Day! Make sure you and your loved ones get all the cash benefits you’re owed. Will Petrik explains how in a blog. You can also watch a recording of a webinar he gave with Children’s Defense Fund-Ohio.
0: That’s how many state lawmakers SHOULD vote for HB 327, which would censor teachers and whitewash our history. Tanisha joined the Honesty for Ohio Education Coalition to oppose the bill yesterday. Read her statement and watch her TikTok!
Coming up:
The electrification of vehicles presents a great opportunity for Industrial Heartland states like Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan. It could also be devastating if policymakers don’t consider the needs of working people. A new report from MIT details the potential and pitfalls. Our Amanda Woodrum will appear alongside Former U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Ernie Moniz, Youngstown Mayor Tito Brown and Lima Mayor Sharetta Smith at a virtual press conference to detail the findings on Tuesday, March 22 from 10-11:30 a.m. Or watch it from the front row and register on Zoom!
Policy Matters was part of a coalition that pushed lawmakers to fix how the state funds K-12 education in the last budget – but there is still more work to be done. On Thursday, March 24 at 7 p.m., join the League of Women Voters and others for “Fair School Funding – The Unfinished Agenda and How to Win.” Register for the webinar here.
On March 25 at 12 p.m., Amanda will join the Northeast Ohio for Black Health Coalition on Facebook live for their monthly series “Reclaiming Our Health.” You can also watch on Zoom with the meeting ID: 872-9319-9614.
The Guardians for Fair Work campaign is hosting a community meeting at 5:30 p.m. on March 30th at Cornucopia Place (7201 Kinsman Rd. Cleveland, OH 44104). Learn more about wage theft, fair scheduling and how you can get involved with the campaign over a meal. Please RSVP by email to dortiz@policymattersohio.org.